


Alluvium

by Lieju



Category: Indiana Jones Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22354471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: Real, accurate, water divination was thought to be a thing of myth. However...René Belloq smiled, running his fingers on the ancient Roman bowl. Well, soon enough he would find out if his research was accurate.
Relationships: Rene Belloq/Henry "Indiana" Jones
Kudos: 23





	Alluvium

René Belloq ran his fingers on the ancient bowl, feeling the smooth surface. His touch lingered on the images of gods and goddesses expertly etched on the bowl and given shape by semi-precious gems.

”You happy?”

René frowned at the man. The brute had no idea what he had. He was aware this was an Ancient Roman artifact, but had no real clue on its actual significance.

Well, all the better for him.

”It's adequate.” René handed him an envelope.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the man opened it and counted the money. As if he would bother cheating in something this minor with an idiot who didn't matter.

Satisfied, the man nodded. ”Pleasure doing business.”

”Hm.”

He closed the hotel room door after him.

René grinned, inspecting the bowl. Just like he had thought. Circa 80 BC. Good work and well preserved but largely unremarkable.

Unless you knew a thing or two about hydromancy.

René opened the dresser and pulled out a water bottle and a small scroll.

Getting his hands on these had been far more challenging.

He closed the curtains, lit up the candle on the table and emptied the water into the bowl. He pulled out his pocket knife.

Time to test this.

Divination using water was well-known throughout the Ancient World. People reading hidden meanings into ripples in the water was well-documented by historians. Real, accurate divination was thought to be a thing of myth by most. These sort of bowls were commonplace enough, but unless you knew what to do they weren't any more useful than staring at your reflection and hoping for divine insight.

To start with, you needed specific kind of water from a small lake in Armenia.

And something else-

He pricked his finger and held the hand over the bowl, watching three drops of blood fall into the bowl. The blood circled in the bowl, forming patterns. The scroll had been quiet about this part of the divination... How would he know what to look for-

Mesmerized, René watched the water in the bowl twirl and twist, moving in unnatural ways.

Forming patterns...

And _colours_...

He leaned in closer. The figures danced on the water. He recognized this place...

His old university.

René frowned. He hadn't tried to see _this._

This was the past.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to look away from the scene of two young men sitting in the university library, their school work long since abandoned.

Indiana smiled, and the ghost of a familiar feeling twisted in René's stomach.

”It's more sing-songly- I think...” he said, locking eyes with René.

René leaned closer. ”That's what people always say about the Marseilles accent. Yours though- Your French is an odd mix.”

Indy shrugged. ”I learned it from- I traveled with my dad, and then I studied on my own... Lot of the more academic words... I have only seen written-”

”I can tell.”

The American regularly butchered more complicated words. It was cute though René wasn't sure he should say it out loud. Instead, he continued: ”Me, I'm born and raised in France. My family has a wine yard in Marseilles. It's beautiful. I miss the ocean... My father used to have this houseboat, I would sneak into it and read books there, listening to the sound of waves, enjoying the gentle rocking of the boat...”

Indy slipped his hand on René's. ”It's- it's interesting! I have never been there. I'd love to visit. Is there some expressions they only use there? Some local phrases?”

He looked René in the eye, an eager linguistics student thinking he had found a friend with common interest in culture and the past.

René remembered this, the memory of this afternoon filling his senses so strongly he could almost believe he was there, back in that dusty library. Reliving the last moment Indiana would look at him like this...

Indy's finger brushed his hand gently and René knew what would come afterwards.

He would pull away, and busy himself with his books, and set out to steal his friend's work and present it as his own-

René leaned in closer to the water surface.

_No._

He reached closer to Indiana and softly brought their lips together.

Indiana froze, for one terrifying moment.

And then, against all odds, he kissed back. Carefully at first, like he was afraid he was misunderstanding, but then more determined-

René gasped, hitting the table. The ripples broke the image on the water surface.

And then it was gone.

René stepped back. That had never happened!

In the first place it wasn't what he had tried to see-

Slowly, he approached the bowl again.

But it was showing nothing now.

* * *

Even once they broke the kiss, René stayed close-by, lingering. Here in the privacy of their dorm room, they were far more free to relax and take their time.

Indy licked his lips. He pulled back slightly.

”When did you know?”

René frowned. He would have pretended he didn't understand the question but something pulled at him to tell him the truth.

”Little kids do it- it's a thing boys do. When you would go swimming with your friends in the summer or- Kids are curious. It doesn't mean anything.”

Indy nodded. ”Okay.”

”But it was different. For me. I wondered if everyone did feel the same but just- pretended it wasn't a big deal- But we grew up, and they forgot those nightly trips to the beach and warm summer days at the ocean. It wasn't a big deal to them. But it was- it was a big deal for me.”

”I don't think I ever did- when I was a child,” Indy admitted. ”I don't know.”

René wondered if there was doubt in the look he gave him.

 _Of course it would always end the same_ , he thought bitterly, the fantasy of the imagined past distorting for a moment as the water surface rippled.

He pulled Indy into an another hungry kiss, moving his hands to his shirt.

Suddenly, his decision made, he felt more confident.

Tomorrow, he would take his research. And this all would end.

So why not take _everything_ he could now? Take everything he wanted from Indiana?

He ignored Indy hesitating and slipped his hand in his trousers.

”Come on now you're not that big of a virgin. I'm sure you can use your imagination...”

And he did.

* * *

”René!”

René turned to see Indiana making a beeline towards him across the library.

René didn't really think he'd try to punch him middle of a busy public part of the university but seeing the expression on his face suddenly he wasn't that sure.

René slipped away to the back room. This turned out to be a mistake when a hand wrapped around his wrist.

”Are you trying to cause a scene?” René hissed.

”Would it help?”

Before René could react he found himself pushed into the broom closet.

”Why?”

René stood straight. He was damned if he was going to show any weakness in front of Indy.

”It's a cut throat world, Indy. You should really be more careful.”

Indiana shook his head, looking confused.

René shook his head. ”Jones. We are-”

He was cut off by a rough kiss as he was pushed backwards. He grimaced at the shelf poking him in his back.

Indy pulled back, maybe shaken by René not kissing back.

”But you're smart, René. You didn't need that- And some of the stuff on the evolution of nautical terminology you plagiarized was- It was so obvious! I don't understand.”

René shrugged. ”Consider it a favor. You learned something, no?”

”Well it was a stupid thing to do! If you were smart, you could have just manipulated or blackmailed me to get me to do your work for you!”

René stared at him. ”You can't be serious.”

”You're an idiot, René.” Indiana leaned in closer. He opened his mouth as if to add something but hesitated. Instead, he pulled him into an another kiss, far gentler this time.

”So is this how this is going to be?” René asked, staying close after the kiss, breathing in his scent.

”I don't know?”

”Is this how you want this to be?”

”I don't know what I want,” Indiana snapped. ”I never planned to- I can't say I really thought about my future much but getting married and having children- I mean that's sort of a given?”

”What?”

”Well for me it was,” Indiana told him. ”Not that I care one iota about continuing the family line or anything like that. But it's something I have never- _not_ thought of.”

René stared at him in horror. ”Oh.”

He was thinking of a- a _relationship._

It was a terrible idea.

But he wanted nothing more in this life.

* * *

René struggled away from the bowl.

Why was it showing him something like this!?

Things that had never happened!

But they had felt real...

It was a delusion.

But this thing clearly worked in one way or another. Even if these were hallucinations, he reasoned, they were far more coherent than one would expect.

Knowing more about how it worked...

It was necessary-

With trembling hands he pulled out his knife and slit his palm open once more.

* * *

René looked up from his work. ”Indy?”

No answer. René stood up, quietly. He was suddenly at full alert.

His suspicions were confirmed as there was a loud sound at the door and with a crack the frame bent. But it didn't break. This wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to kick down the door of their small Paris apartment, so precautions had been made.

Unfortunately it wasn't enough and the third kick bent the doorframe enough to allow access, before René could get to the dresser where he kept his gun.

He backed down as the enormous man walked towards him.

”Who are you?” René demanded to know, hoping for any opening. If he at least knew why this man wanted him dead he could work with that.

”Where is the dagger?”

His English was very good. But René could still recognize the tell-tale accent.

_German._

Why were the Germans involved? Was Indy okay?

René looked him in the eye. ”Why? Are you willing to buy it?”

A hand grasped him by the lapels and he was brought close to the sneering face.

”I'm not in any mood for games. The dagger of Olaf the Blue. Give it to me and you will walk out of here alive. Try to be smart and you'll face the same fate as your little... _Friend._ ”

So. It seemed like Indy had ran into some trouble. No time to worry about that just yet...

Slowly, René lifted his hands. ”No worries. Unlike Doctor Jones I know when to give up.”

He took a step towards the dresser. ”I'll give you the dagger. I will do that and you will let me go?”

”Wait.”

The German pushed him aside. ”I will open it.”

René cursed under his breath just as the man pulled the dresser open. And noticed the pistol sitting there in the open.

The German turned around, hand disappearing into his pocket. ”You sneaky little-”

Before he had time to use his knife the familiar snap of a whip echoed in the room, hitting it off his hand.

Indiana stepped into the room. ”Get your hands off him.”

He gave a quick look at René but had no time to say more as the German charged at him like an enraged bull.

Indiana gasped as he was pushed against the wall, before bringing a knee up to his groin.

”René!”

René evaluated the scene. The two struggling figures blocked his way to his pistol. He could go for the knife that had dropped somewhere-

Indiana gagged as the enormous fingers curled around his throat. ”Ghhh! A little help here?”

With a thunk the German fell to the floor, unconscious.

René eyed the jade statue. ”I think it was undamaged.”

Indiana rubbed his throat. ”Well I'm fine, thanks for asking-”

René gave him a quick peck on the lips. ”You're invaluable, but not quite worth destroying a 14th century Ming statue for.”

A horrified look spread on Indy's face. ”You used _that_ to knock him out!?”

”It was the only heavy object I could get to in time!”

Indy snatched the statue from him. ”Was this nick always there? Hm I need to wash the blood away to make sure but...”

”Speaking of blood,” René pointed at his disheveled appearance. ”What happened to _you_?”

Indiana licked at his bleeding lip. ”I'm fine. This guy,” he poked the unconscious body with his foot, ”-used to work for the German intelligence. He was kicked out for theft and was apparently looking for the dagger to sell it to start a new life somewhere.”

Indy looked at René. ”It sounds like we have been under the surveillance by the Germans.”

”The dagger we found in Denmark? Makes sense. The Nazis have interest in the Scandinavian studies and the Viking marine explorers. Not that I'm convinced they crossed the Atlantic but if there's evidence of Olaf the Blue discovering the Americas... They would be interested in that...”

”Speaking of crossing the ocean, I think heading out of Europe would be for the best for a while.”

René nodded. ”It sounds like it.”

”I have. Friends in America.”

René gave him a look. If he sounded this uncertain about it it might have meant-

”Your father.”

”Hell no!” Indy shook his head. ”But a friend. Brody. He might be able to help. Get us maybe a job at one of the museums. Or a teaching position. We should probably lay low for a while. Make connections to some American museums. After what happened with Louvre-”

”I know. It sounds like a plan.”

René watched Indy let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

René shook the man's hand, looking him in the eye.

Marcus Brody.

He seemed familiar.

For a fraction of a second René was disoriented. Had he met him before? On less friendly circumstances.

He rubbed his forehead. He couldn't remember...

”Sorry, it has been a long trip,” Indiana said.

”Oh that's quite fine,” Brody said. ”If you wanted to take a bath first-”

* * *

René stared at the paper in front of him. What had he been doing?

He went through the messy hand written text that was trying to use as many words as possible to describe the importance of fishing in seafaring civilizations.

Ah yes. Grading essays.

He stopped, the red pen hovering over the paper. How had this happened? He had never considered himself a teacher-

He leaned back in his chair.

_I really need to stop working so late-_

* * *

René was shaken awake. The room was dark...

The candle on the small hotel room table had burnt out.

He had been sure he had been using the bowl for ten minutes at the most!

This wasn't good.

But he needed more.

* * *

Indiana pushed the door open, slowly. He pulled his arm up to cover his mouth as the bitter stink invaded his senses.

”Belloq?”

The man laying at the table lifted his head, trying to focus on Indiana.

Deciding the other man was too out of it to be a threat Indy held his breath and walked to the window.

He pulled the curtains open. René gasped at the sunlight hitting him.

Indy opened the window and turned around. Briskly, he snatched the bowl, still holding his breath, and emptied it to the trash bin.

”No...” René protested weakly.

Indy gave him a look. He seemed to be okay... There was blood on his white suit but not enough to cause alarm. But Indy wondered how long he had been cooped up in this hotel room. The smell had been the hint he had needed to finally locate him.

Indy pulled off the covers from the untouched bed and wrapped the source of the stink, the ornate bowl, in it. It was probably best not to come in direct contact with it.

”Wait no-”

René grasped Indy's wrist, smearing blood on his jacket.

Indy looked at him. He looked like he could barely stand up.

He seemed feverish and desperate but let go as he looked Indy in the eye.

”What would you see? What did you see?” René asked, switching to French.

”I would suggest trying to get some clear air,” Indy told him, following his lead and replying in French. ”You look like shit.”

René let out a giggle.

He collapsed on the bed, mumbling something about museum work Indy didn't quite catch.

”You've been cooped up in this hole for who knows how long. Breathing in fumes from this thing-”

”It wasn't just that!” René interrupted him.

”It's the fumes. The way water reacts with the stones set in the work. It causes a chemical reaction and releases hallucinogenic fumes. Anyway, I'd recommend you get out of here. Unless this joint stinking like a sewer is making you feel right at home.”

”No.”

René locked eyes with him, an odd look coming to his eye.

He opened his mouth.

And then closed it.

He shook his head and Indy wondered if some kind of a moment had just passed them by.

”Just go. Leave when you still have the chance to get a head start.”

Wordlessly, Indy turned around.

He closed the door after himself, leaving Belloq alone.


End file.
